Working donkeys provide livelihoods for millions of families in low-income countries, but many suffer from overwork, inadequate care, and injuries. Improving donkey welfare has profound development implications.
Working donkey welfare sits at the intersection of animal welfare and global development — the welfare of these animals is directly linked to the livelihoods and food security of some of the world's poorest families. Donkeys that are lame, harness-sore, malnourished, or carrying inappropriate loads cannot work effectively, reducing the income and productive capacity of households that depend on them. The case for improving donkey welfare is therefore both ethical and developmental: treating wounds, fitting harnesses correctly, providing adequate water and shade, and preventing overloading improves animal welfare while also improving family productivity. The donkey skin trade has introduced a new welfare crisis, with animals stolen or sold from working households and killed for their skins — depriving families of essential working animals and causing suffering in the slaughter process. Community veterinary and husbandry outreach programmes run by organisations including the Donkey Sanctuary and SPANA reach hundreds of thousands of working animals annually with basic welfare interventions that have measurable impact.